Electric switch



Oct. 6, 1925.

D, D. GORDON ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed May 19, 1921 Patented Get. 6, 1925,.

UNITED STATES DAVID D. GORDON, OF` CHICAGO,

` COMPANY,

PATENT OFFICE'.y

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Application filed May 19, 1921. Serial No. 470,871.

T0 all 'whom 'it may concern Beit known that I, DAVID D. GORDON, acitizen yof the United States, residing *at` Chicago, vin the county ofCook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Electric Switches, of which the following is a full,clear, concise, andexact description, reference being hadto ytheaccompanying drawings, forming al part of this specification.

invention relates to electric switches andhas to do morep'articulzrtrlywithcertain reiinements which go to make up a device which isl simpler,easier to assemble and cheaper. to ,menuature My invention has to domore with a well known form of switch of the double acting snap typevoperable preferably by va universal lever. These switchesarensedmoregenerally for lamp Seekers Ceiling 01' Wall switches where themechanis'mis' necessarily coniined to the smallest practical space.l

One of the features ofiny invention is the provision of arl improvedframe construction, the features of which'. will be 4more particularlyypointed out Vin the. ensuing specification and, claims.' i Referring tothe (accompanying drawing for a better understanding of my inven t0n Y.l

'Figa 1 is a vertical transverse section showing my improved switchmechanism mounted in a lamp. socket; A

Fig. 2 is'l a cross Ysection along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of a portion of the switch mechanism valternateto that shown 1n Fig. 1. and' with themswitcharm" in open positiom. .l,4

4 is a detail frame; l

Fig. 5 is a detail view 0f an insulating plate'which acts as. av supportfor the frame the pivot'bearings for the ViewV of a., part ofy the and,la@ Carnes switch arm g, and

Fig. 6 is adetail view of the U-shaped member of the frame insulationsupe porting plate assembled.l

Referring more in detail to the preferred foriii of myinvention'a'sillustrated, it com prises a U-shaped frame A which hasupper and lower legs 7 and 8 respectively each leg havingstops'Q againstwhich the plate 10 rests. The frame A is adapted to be secured by screwswhich pass into threaded holes 11 in the ears 9. The plate 10 which ismade of insulating material, preferably fibre. acts to rigidly supportthey legs 7`8 of the frame A by spanning the same, the said legs fittingin the grooves `12413 which extend transversely of the plate. Thus thelegsare rigidly heldA against displacement. This plate 10 also carriesbearing studs 14415 to pivotally support the switch arm 16 by -means ofthe forked ends of this arm which restY against the studs. These bearingstuds are preferably integral with the plate 10 so as to insulate theswitch arm from the rest of the switch mechanism.' This switch arm 16 isU-shaped so 'as to span thevoperating mechanism and engage the' pivotstuds 1-l-15. To operate the switch arm 1G I provide a mechanismcomprising` an intermediate pawl 17 having alternate pivot positions andprovided with alternate hooks 18,-19 adapted to alternately engage theupper and lov/*erlegs 7 8 of the frame. In Figlj 1 the switchmechanisn'is shown with the 'switch arm closed and the operating member17 in its upper pOStiOn engaging the leg '7.

Nowin order to more positively hold this intermediate vmember 17 in itsproper, alternate pivot positions, (as it is to be noted that it is abodily4 lioating member), I provide guiding recessed pivot bearings20-21 in the upper and lower legs respectively of the frame. Thisymember 17 is connected at its rear orvfree end to the switch arm 1.6 bymeans of a spring22 hooked at its upper end to an insulating clip 23which extends through a slot in the end of the switch arm 16. Spring 22is connected at its inner end to a hook in the voke of themcmber 17.

In order to swing the member 17 on its pivots I provide a U-shapefl pullmember 24 having an opening' lthrough the outer end of each arm andthrough which the o utwardly extending lugs '25 of member 17 pass. Theyoke end of the U-shaped pull member 24 is connected to an operatinglever preferably in the form of a universally tiltable lever 26. Thisconnection is effected by means of a link 27 which is passed through ahole in the yoke of the` pull member 24 and is held by reason of itslarge hea-d, as shown in Fig. 2.

The link 27 is connected at its other end to aI U-shaped link 28 whichhooks through a hole in the end of link 27. Link 28 extends into thehollow universal lever 26, the lever being held in place by the screw 29Which passes therethrough. The operating chain 30 is held between thespringfingers of the clip 28 and this chain may, of course7 be of anydesired length. The universal lever 26 rests at its pivot end in anannular groove 3l so that when tilted in any direction the groove in theframe and the end of the lever cooperate to prevent the lever slidingout of place and also provide a most effective pivot bearing. Also bymeans of this construction the mechanism is cheapened considerably overwhere a separate bearing plate has heretofore been used. That is, bybuilding the frame so as to directly take an annular groove as a seatfor the lever, the construction is simplified and cheapened over theprevious construction wherein separate elements were used.

The switch mechanism as shown herein is mounted upon an insulating base32, preferably of treated libre, the frame being held by means of twoscrews 33 which pass into the threaded holes 11 of the frame. A threadedcontact shell 34 is provided and also a center contact 35 for engagementwith the corresponding conductors of the lamp base. The shell 34 isconnected to terminal bindini; post 36 which is adapted to receive oneof the outside conductors. The circuit thus passes from this bindingpost 36` shell 34. through the lamp to center contact 35 which isconnected to switch contact 37. Contact 37 is crossed by the switch arm16 with the opposite switch contact 38 which is connected to thel otherterminal binding` post 39.

Now as to the operation of the device and assuming' the mechanism is ina closed position as shown in Fig. 1, upon tilting the universal lever26 or pulling it directly outward, pull member 24 is moved toward thelefttherebv swinging member 17 about its upper pivot hooks 18 so thatits free end moves upwardly. This moves the left end of spring 22upwardly and as soon as it has passed the dead center or line extendingfrom the center of pivot 15 to the point of spring fasteningr at theouter end of the switcharm 16, said switch arm suddenly snaps upwardlyfree of the contacts 37-38 and into its alternate position as shown inFie. 3. This. it is to be noted, occurs although the leveris held in anoperated position. Upon releasing the lever7 spring 22 operates torestore the parts for the next or closing operation. That is, as theoperator releases his hold upon lever 267 spring 22 pulls the pivotmember 17 toward the right at the same time9 through the medium ofpivotal connect-ions 25. pulls link 24 and lever 26 toward normal.

It is to be noted that upon completion of the operating movement of thelever,'and as the switch arm travels to its upward position, pivotmember 17 moves downwardly at its right end until the lower hooks 19rest upon the upper surface of the leg 8 of the frame. Now when theoperator releases his hold upon the lever, spring' 22 draws member 17toward the right until the lower hooks 19 thereof drop down over the endand through the slots 21 of the lower leg 8 of the switch frame, asshown in Fig. 3. This movement also, of course. seats the lever 26. Theparts are thus in position for their alternate movement so that shouldthe lever 26 be actuated again the pivot member 17 now swings about itslower pivot hooks 19 to move the sprinQ 22 beyond its dead center andthus move the switch arm again into its closed position as shown in Fig.l. Upon releasing the lever 26. it will again restore to its seatpermitting the movement of link 24 and pivot member 17 into the positionindicated in Fig'. 1.

Thus it will be seen that each tilting of the lever 26 effects a snapaction of the switch arm. one movement of the lever closing the switchand the next movement opening it. etc.

I claim: y

1. A switch mechanism comprising a U shaped frame having laterallvextending lug stops. an insulation mechanism supporting plate fittingover the legs of the frame, and means for holding the plate against saidstops.

2. A switch mechanism comprising a U- shaped frame..and an insulationmechanism supporting plate fitting over Ithe legs of the frame, a switcharm supported by said plate, arm operating mechanism positioned betweenthe legs of the frame, and operatively connected to the switch arm.

3. A switch comprising a legged frame, switch mechanism positionedbetween legs of the frame, an insulation plate spanning the frame legs.a switch arm pivotally supported by said plate. and a spriner connectioneX- tending from the switch mechanism to the switch arm for holdingthevarm against the plate and the plate against the frame.

4. `A switch mechanism comprising a switch-arm operatingP member havingalternate pivot hooks and a frame'having guiding recessed alternatepivot bearings for engagement by the pivot hooks. v

5. A frame for a switch mechanism operated by an end seated universallytiltable lever, said frame including a sheet metal locked therewith andmeans on said plate base having an annular recess impressed in forpivotally supporting a movable switch one face thereof to act as a seatfor the lever. element. 10

6. A switch mechanism comprising a In Witness whereof, I hereuntosubscribe 5 frame having a pair of legs, an insulating my name this 12thday of March A. D., 1921,

plate for supporting the switch mechanism embracing the legs of saidframe and inter- DAVID D. GORDON.

